Postoperative bariatric surgery patients medication changes.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How do bariatric surgery patients manage postoperative medication changes?
IRAS ID
153971
Contact name
Sarah Sanderson
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 28 days
Research summary
How do weight-loss surgery patients manage medications after surgery?
In the UK, health problems associated with being overweight or obese cost the NHS more than £5 billion and are responsible for approximately 30,000 deaths per year. One of the treatments for obesity is weight-loss surgery (bariatric surgery) which involves reducing the size of the stomach or bypassing it completely. After surgery, patients eat a sloppy diet for approximately six weeks and may need liquid medication. There are many liquid and soluble medications available but unfortunately some medication is only available as a solid capsule or tablet which can be difficult to take after surgery. Patients also start new medications to prevent blood clots, promote healing and supplement their vitamin and mineral intake. Patients usually have their doses reduced or medication stopped for those used to treat diseases associated with obesity when they lose weight. This means patients will go through multiple medication changes in a relatively short period of time.
There is limited information about weight loss surgery patients’ medication changes and how they cope with their medication. This study will help professionals understand the medication needs of weight-loss surgery patients, ultimately improving the care of future patients.
The study will take place between July and September 2015 at the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust (OUH). It will include adult NHS patients who successfully undergo weight-loss surgery at the OUH. The study will include data collection on patients’ medication changes, patient medication diaries and semi-structured patient interviews. Information on the number of medication changes will be collected from OUH inpatients notes and the electronic general practitioner summary (Oxfordshire Care Summary). Patients will record any thoughts, feelings and issues regarding their medication after their operation for 12 weeks using a diary. Patients will be interviewed at their 12 week postoperative outpatient in the OUH.
REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/SW/0225
Date of REC Opinion
6 Aug 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion